Last night, in the main event of UFC Fight Night 112, rising lightweight contender Kevin Lee picked up an impressive submission win over the division’s sixth-ranked fighter, Michael Chiesa. Unfortunately, Lee’s win is shadowed in controversy, as referee Mario Yamasaki stopped the fight before Chiesa actually tapped.
Unsurprisingly, this early stoppage generated quite a range of reactions on social media. Without further ado, here’s how the MMA community reacted to the controversial stoppage in the UFC Fight Night 112 main event.
Awful
— Ian McCall (@Unclecreepymma) June 26, 2017
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What a terrible way to end the card.
— Chase Sherman (@ChaseShermanUFC) June 26, 2017
Is this fight in NY? I didn’t see Mike tap but the ref stopped it? Wtf?? @ufc
— Chris Camozzi (@ChrisCamozzi) June 26, 2017
Yamasaki strikes again. #UFCOKC
advertisement – continue reading below— The Spartan (@EliasTheodorou) June 26, 2017
That Yamasaki decision to stop the fight robbed Lee of the tap and Chiesa of the escape. Bad! Just let it go. It’s a choke! #UFCOKC
— Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) June 26, 2017
He didn’t call the illegal elbows and he stopped it early 😳 bad calls ref #UFCOklahoma
— Cub Swanson (@CubSwanson) June 26, 2017
WTF did Yamasaki just do?!?! JESUS MAN!! Not saying that choke wasn’t on but BRO, LET US FIGHT!! #UFCOKC
— Aljamain Sterling (@FunkMaster_UFC) June 26, 2017
Damn!! That’s horrible!! Cmon ref!
— Michael Johnson (@FollowTheMenace) June 26, 2017
NOOOOOO FUCKING MARRRIO!!! #UFCOklahoma #UFCOKC
— Angela Hill (@AngieOverkill) June 26, 2017
It was over. @DominickCruz #Detroit baby ! #MarioSavesLives #GoodReff #AnyBlackBeltWillTellYou #DontGetPutInThatPosition
— Platinum Mike Perry (@PlatinumPerry) June 26, 2017
Chiesa does go a little limp for a second in the replay.
— Will Brooks (@ILLxWillBrooks) June 26, 2017
Illegal elbows early stoppage, Mario you’re fired #UFCOklahoma fuck that
— Chito Vera (@chitoveraUFC) June 26, 2017
Could’ve went a second or 2 longer. But went from defending the choke to limp hands. #UFCOKC
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) June 26, 2017
Seriously the worst ref and UFC history! #FireHim #NoTap
— Marion Reneau (@BelizeanBruiser) June 26, 2017
Very bad stoppage
— Rafael dos Anjos (@RdosAnjosMMA) June 26, 2017
Fire Mario Yamasaki!!! Worst ref in history! @ufc #UFCOKC
— Bobby Nash (@B_Nashty) June 26, 2017
Just ran home to see that ! No tap !? That sucks man. Feel for chiesa. Look what Kish got out of earlier in night. Not over.
— Chris Weidman (@ChrisWeidmanUFC) June 26, 2017
How can you measure someone’s heart by ripping it right out of them?!
— Jon SuperSaiyan Tuck (@JonCruzTuck) June 26, 2017
Mario is a BJJ black belt. He’s experienced enough to wait for the tap. Kish looked done as well. Again, awful stoppage. I picked Lee to win https://t.co/C1EgIBDvdT
— Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) June 26, 2017
What did you think of the stoppage in the UFC Fight Night 112 main event?
This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 6/25/2017.